Denise Jardine - The Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Kitchen

I could not have written this book without the contributions and support of many talented individuals. My heartfelt thanks to four amazing chefsMarc Rubenstein, Gerard Rodriguez, Marc, and Maureen Kellondfor their recipe contributions, enthusiasm, and culinary excellence. My sincere appreciation to Chad Lotta talented writer in his own rightfor his manuscript contributions. Thanks to Jennifer Lo for working her magic and creating my website. Thanks also to Amy Vig, Pam Stewert, Leanne Valenti, and Linda Frandsen for recipe testing and evaluation. Additional thanks to Norma Quon, Matthew Lederman, MD, Alona Pulde, MD, and Jeff Novick, MS, RD, for their expertise. Also many thanks to the Sarno brothers, Chad and Derektwo inspiring chefs. Working with each of you is an honor and pleasure.

I am immensely grateful to my editor Veronica Randall, art director Toni Tajima, copyeditor Molly Jackel, and production manager Serena Sigona for their expertise and hard work. Thank you also to photographer Erin Kunkel and stylist Erin Quon for the new photography in the second edition.

I must also acknowledge the special people in my life who gave me emotional support and contributed directly and indirectly throughout the development of the recipes and accompanying text. My chief taster and most constructive critic also happens to be my husband Robert. His unwavering encouragement and objective feedback were invaluable to me. He is my lifes love and champion.

More personal thanks to Drs. Robert and Nick Stojanovich for hours of insightful conversations. My loving thanks to Linda Cloonan, Annamaria Delgado, Suzanne Allen, and Barbara Ryan for sharing in my journey and cheering me on, no matter what. Also, my deepest thanks to my family past for teaching me how to grow and prepare food with old world sensibilities. And thanks to my family present Nick and Dorothy Dragisich, sissy Marsha van Dongeren, Barry and Bruce Savin, Mark and Teresa Reculin, Andrea Arbore, Bill, Richard, and Susan Jardine, and our dear friends Paul and Lesa Martin, Matt and Jody Friedman, Jim and Mary Fritz, and Steve and Pat Wuthrich for their encouragement, laughter, and sharing in many a marvelous meal.

And last but not least to each of you seeking wellness through my classes, lectures, or this cookbook. You have inspired me to continue doing what I lovethank you.

If you subscribe to the philosophy that life is a marathon and not a sprint, then you will understand why this book came to be.

W hen I wrote Recipes for Dairy-Free Living in 2001, it was almost like a sprint to the finish line of a race to help myself and others deal with a long list of health issues related to dairy food intolerance and allergies. Judging from its popularity over the past ten years, Recipes for Dairy-Free Living has resonated with thousands of readers around the world who suffer from health problems related to dairy foods in their diets.

However, a marathoner doesnt stop when the first milestone of the race has been achieved. Instead, a second wind drives the runner onward. My second wind came in the form of continued self-discovery and expanded knowledge about the food-health connection. The next part of my food-health marathon was to pursue a formal education in nutrition, including culinary training on ingredients and techniques to maximize the nutritional value of the food we eat. I was so enthusiastic about the health benefits of a natural, whole-food diet that I became a teacher to students pursuing a nutritional-based culinary career.

Through the course of my training and teaching, I came to realize that many peoples dietary health problems (including my own) were not solely the result of dairy foods. In fact, the statistics support the fact that many people who have problems with dairy also suffer from health issues related to gluten products. As awareness of the gluten-health connection has increased in recent years, the number of people formally diagnosed with health problems caused by gluten in their diets has also increased dramatically.

To further my passion for helping others overcome their diet-related health issues, I joined Whole Foods Market as the Community Healthy Eating Specialist at my hometown store. As a lecturer and in-store culinary guide, I gained first-hand experience helping others cope with the difficulty of implementing dietary changes for themselves, or a family member, after being diagnosed with a disease or condition for which diet was a contributing factor. The relief that customers always displayed upon realizing that healthy and delicious dairy-free and gluten-free food alternatives were readily available was heart warming and gratifying. I received tremendous feedback about the health improvements that dietary modifications were having on peoples lives.

Along with the practical feedback on the positive health impacts of dietary changes, I was also receiving on-the-job training about the health benefits of a whole-food, plant-based, healthy fat and nutrient rich diet. There is overwhelming evidence that these dietary improvements directly contribute to health benefits, such as lowering the risk of cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.